Knitting-machine



(ModeL) I 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. R. BRIDGES.

KNITTING MAOHINE.

No. 270,928. Patented Ja.11.23.1883.

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(ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. R. BRIDGES. v

KNITTING MACHINE. No. 270,928. Patented Jan.23, 1883.

(Model.)

MHFIITHEJSEEE J; 7% 1M4? 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. R. BRIDGES.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Jan.23, 1888.

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(ModeL) 4' Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. R. BRIDGES.

KNITTING MACHINE. No. 270,928. 1; Patented Jan. 28,1883.

i i i e I g 2% [HE-u M [HUME-SEES HMEMM" v y n/6W IINITED STATES PATENT O FIC JOHN R. BRIDGES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 270,928, dated January 23, 1883.

Application filed June 21, 1881. (ModelJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. Bnrnens, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accoinpanyin g drawings, making part hereof.

My invention relates more particularly to the means for controlling the action of the needies of a knitting-machine; and-it consists in the combination, with the needle bed or holder of such machine, of one or more reciprocatory bars for operating the needle-jacks in such manner that the action of the needles may be controlled, and said needles thrown in and p out of action automatically.

To enable others skilled in the construction and operation of knitting-machines to practically apply my invention, I will now proceed to describe my said improvements in detail.

In the drawings, Figures I, II, III, and IV show the construction and arrangement of the parts-constituting my invention, as applied to straight-knitting machines, Fig. I being a perspective view of a needle bed or holder of a straight-knitting machine; Fig. II, a view of an ordinary cam-bar; Fig. III, a sectional view of a needle bed or holder, showing the connection or relation of the needle-jack and needle and the manner in which the cam engages with the needle-jacks; and Fig. 1V, an elevation of my reciproeatory bars. Figs. V, VI, VII, and VIII show the construction and arrangement of modifications of my improvements, as applied to circular machines, Fig. V being an elevation of a circular-knitting machine, partly broken to show said modification; Fig. VI, a perspective of my reciproca tory bars bent into rings; Fig. VII, an elevation of same, and Fig. VIII an under view of a cam-plate for imparting the forward and backward movement to the jacks and needles.

Referring to Figs. 1, II, III, and IV, A is a needle bed or holder of a straighbknitting machine; B, a needle; 0, a needle-jack, the forward end of which fits closely over the foot of needle Bby means of recess 0. The jack is provided,furthermore, with a lo g or projection,

c, with which camD engages, and terminates in a foot, 0', which rests upon a reciprocatory bar, E. The bar E is provided or constructed (Fig. IV) with an elevated and a depressed surface. Firmly secured to said baris a rack, G, in which a fixed pinion, F, may be revolved in both directions, and the bar thus caused to reciprocate. will be noticed that the under portion of the jack 0 is cut away in sucha manner and to such an extent that when the elevated surface of the bar E,'in the reciprocation of the latter, passes from under foot 0 the jack, with its lug or projection, will fall below the surface of the needle bed or holder A, and the regular action of cam D avoided; but so long as the jack 0 rests upon said elevated surface of bar E the cam D, at its every passage over the needle-bed, will engage with the lug or projec- Upon reference toFig. III it v tion 0 andimpart to such jack 0 and needle B a forward and backward movement, whereby said needle is enabled to perform its function, the least forward movement of the jack enabling shoulder c to reach and slide upon the needle bed or holder A before the foot 0 leaves the bar E, thus causing the lug or projection to be retained in the groove d of cambar D. The cam-bar D is constructed with a groove, d, in the ordinary manner, and operated substantially as shown in United States Letters Patent to J. Nelson, dated April 15, 1879, and numbered 214,308, and in its passage over the needle bed or holder engages with the lug or projection c of each jack that rests upon the elevated surface of the bar E, and forces such jack and its needle forward and backward, as described, while such jacks as rest upon the depressed surface of said bar escape the action of said cam and remain inactive.

The fixed pinion F may becontrolled and operated by Jacquard mechanism, or may be revolved at the desired times by hand, a revolution of said pinion in one direction causing the elevated surface of bar E to pass from under certainjacks, allowing the latter to fall, and throwing the needles out of action, as described, while a revolution in the opposite direction will causethe jacks that have been resting upon the depressed surface of said bar E to slide up the incline c, Fig. 1V, to the elethe use of two or more such bars I am enabled to throw needles in and out of action at various points of the needle bed or holder automatically and simultaneously, and this automatic action is especially advantageous in the manufacture of hosiery, in making the heels and toes of which it is necessary at certain times to throw certain needles out of action, and afterward at certain times to bring the same again into action, which operation here tofore has usually been effected by hand, necessitating much trouble and loss of time.

In the drawings I, III, and IV, I have shown the bar E mounted upon the flangeof a second -bar, E, which latter is similarly constructed with an elevated and adepressed. surface, and provided with a rack,,G, in which the fixed pinion F operates. Now, it will be evident that by the revolution of said pinion first in one direction and then in the other a lateral reciprocating motion will be imparted to both bars, the depressed surfaces of the latter being thus caused to approach each other and recede alternately.

The needle-jacks O are constructed to rest upon the bars by which they are to be operated respectively. In Fig. I, I have shown the feet of the jacks upon the left side, X, of the needle bed or holder A stepped in such manner as to enable the said jacks to rest upon and be operated by bar E, while thejacks upon the right side, Y, of the needle bed or holder are stepped in such manner as to allow the feet to project over bar E and rest upon and be operated by bar E. It will be evident, however, that stepping the jacks in the manner shown is not essential,since thejacks may be made to rest upon their respective bars by a mere variation in their lengths. In other words, by

ficientlength to allow the feet to rest upon bar E, and constructing the jacks upon the right side, Y, of sufficient length to project over bar E and rest upon bar E, the same object will be attained as by stepping thejacks in the manner shown. Now, as the depressed surfaces of the bars E E, by a revolution of of pinion F to the left, are caused to approach each other, it will be evident that the elevated surface of each bar will pass from under certain jacks that have been resting thereon, and,

saidjacks and their needles thus thrown out of action, while a reverse movement of the bars, by a revolution of pinion F to the right, will cause the said jacks to slide up the inclines e of the respective bars to the elevated surface, and thus again bring the needles into action.

I am aware that other devices and mechanisms have been devised to accomplish the purposes of myinvention; but they have been of so complicated and costly nature, or so unsatisfactory in their results, as to preclude their general use. My device for throwing the needles in and out of action, on the contrary, is simple in construction and operation, and though specially designed to be attached to constructing the jacks upon the left side, X, of the needle bed or holder of sufmachines run by power may be used in connection with machines run by hand to great advantage. I

I do not limit myself to the application of my improvements to machines for knitting hosier since it will be evident tothoseskilled in the construction of knitting-machines that said improvements may be used in connection with machines for knitting any character or kind of goods in which it is necessary or essential to throw needles in and out of action in the course of manufacture. Nor do I limit myself to the peculiar shape or construction of the reciprocatory bars and needle-jacks,

since these may be varied in several particulars. Thejacks and needles may be madein one piece. They may bepivoted one to the other. The cam D may be made to engage with the foot of the needle, as shown in the patent to O. F. Tripp, No. 152,021, of June 16, 1874. Nor, lastly, do I limit myself to the application of my improvements to straight machines, since they are, as well applicable to circular-knitting machines.

In Fig. V, I have shown an elevation of a circular or rather conical needle bed or holder with my modified improvements attached.

In Fig. VIis shown a perspective of the reciprocatory bars bent into the form of rings provided with racks G G, and reciprocated by means of the fixed pinion F.

In Fig. VII is shown an elevation of the bent bars or rings, showing the elevated and depressed surfaces for throwing jacks in and out of the cam-path; and in Fig. VIII is shown an under view of the cam plate or ring for imparting the forward and backward movement to the needle-jacks and needles, said cam plate or ring being provided upon its outer periphery with cogs or teeth (1, in which (Fig. V) the gear H is revolved, said gear being in turn operated through the agency of shaft K, which is revolved by any convenient means. As the earn-plate is revolve'd by gear H, the jacks resting upon the elevated surface of the reciprocatory bent bars or rings E E, will, with their needles, be given a forward and backward movement, and those resting upon the depressed surface of said bent bars or rings allowed to remain inactive, the jacks beingth-rown in and out of action by the reciprocation of the bent bars orrings E E by the revolution of the pinion F first in one direction and then in the other.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combinatiomwith-a needle bed orholder of a knitting-machine, of a series of needles, B, and needle-jacks (J, an operating-cam, D, and one or more reciprocatory bars, substan tially as shown and described.

- JNO. R. BRIDGES. Witnesses:

E. L. TAYLOR, ALBERT E. ZAOHERLE.

by slight modification,

IIO 

